Download 2010 Police Department Annual Report (1.7 MB)

2010 will be remembered as one of the most challenging and difficult years in law enforcement’shistory. Nationally, deaths in the line of duty jumped 37 percent to 160 from 117 the year before, adisturbing statistic that clearly illustrates the dangers of police work. As if this sobering statistic wasnot enough, law enforcement officers find themselves in the unenviable position of facing the dangersof policing with reduced budgets and reduced staffing levels due to the current economic downturn.Doing more with less has its limitations. Although the effects of a struggling economy and publicsafety downsizing has yet to be quantified, one needs to look no further than the local newspaper orTV news broadcast to realize crime rates are trending upward.Montclair has not faced the tragedy of losing an officer in the line of duty since 1976; for that I amextremely grateful. However, we have not been immune from the rising crime rates. Locally, we havefaced a crime rate increase of over 13%; the first increase in over 7 years. Despite this, there is goodnews to report; violent crime in Montclair has been reduced by 10.50%. Additionally, safety programssuch as “Click It or Ticket”, “Pedestrian Crosswalk Initiative”, and the “DWI Enforcement Programs”have been effective in ensuring the safety of our motorists and pedestrians.As we move ahead into the new year we realize the economic uncertainty and fiscal limitations willcontinue to be factors to be considered as we go about our mission of providing a quality policeservice to the residents of Montclair. The Montclair Police Department is adjusting to the changingenvironment to insure the best possible police service is delivered. Our strategic approach to crimeprevention and detection involves the careful analysis of crime rates, crime trends, and other relevantcrime data, as well as the analysis of various intelligence sources available to us. The properdeployment of resources as well as implementing effective initiatives is critical to our success.Quality of life issues and traffic safety and enforcement will continue to be priorities of this Departmentas well.2011 may prove to be just as challenging as 2010, but with sound practices in place and a welltrained committed workforce, I have no doubt that we are well situated to address whatever thefuture holds. The Montclair Police Department has a 125 year tradition and reputation of proudlyserving the residents of Montclair and insuring the safety of all those that traverse this wonderful town.This is a responsibility we all take very seriously and we willcontinue to earn the trust and respect of the residents that relyon us every day.Respectfully,David P. SabaghChief of Police